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Giambi, Posada held out of lineup

Giambi, Posada held out of lineup

By Anthony DiComo
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MLB.com |

NEW YORK -- Inclement weather and inconvenient travel -- two of a baseball player's greatest gripes -- conspired on Monday to weaken the already struggling Yankees lineup. First baseman Jason Giambi, sidelined since Saturday, remained out of the starting lineup due to cold and damp conditions, while catcher Jorge Posada earned a day off with an unusually brutal travel schedule on the horizon.

Giambi, who strained his left groin while running the bases on Saturday, was available to pinch-hit for the second straight game on Monday. Yet with game-time temperatures dipping into the 40s and the forecast calling for a possible shower or two, Yankees manager Joe Girardi was not about to take any risks.

"He's better," Girardi said. "We just thought with the weather conditions tonight, we'd give him another day and see how he is [on Tuesday]. We talked to him about it. We just said that it's going to be awfully raw out there tonight, and we don't want to lose him for a long period of time."

Posada was out of the lineup not due to injury -- his stiff right shoulder isn't perfect, but still well enough for him to play -- but due to convenience. The Yankees played a night game on Monday, followed by an overnight flight to Kansas City and a Tuesday matinee against the Royals. Unable to play in both games, Posada simply chose the second one.

"I'm feeling fine," he said. "It's a day off, and that's it."

He wasn't the only Yankee affected by the odd bit of scheduling. Usually, teams will host a matinee before heading on a long road trip -- the Yankees will play 18 of their next 20 games away from home -- but Monday's game marked an exception. Several Yankees took note of the quirk, with reliever Brian Bruney using the white board posted on Mike Mussina's locker to express his displeasure in writing.

"It's going to be tough not getting your eight hours of sleep," Bruney said. "It definitely isn't the ideal situation, but I think I like to complain just to complain."

Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.